Spacewars: USAF Combat Deployment

[H]

It's a bit late but I haven't happened to see it mentioned here. The USAF has announced its intent to fight effectively in a war already in progress:

Grant Gross, IDG News Service
Friday, December 09, 2005

Air Force Will Guard Cyberspace

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Air Force's goals now include "fighting" in cyberspace, according to a new mission statement released this week. New mission space stakes first claim by a military service.
     
A cyberspace security responsibility was newly included in the mission statement, released Wednesday. The new mission statement, intended to set the current and future direction of the Air Force, reads: "The mission of the United States Air Force is to deliver sovereign options for the defense of the United States of America and its global interests--to fly and fight in Air, Space, and Cyberspace."

A story on the Air Force Web site quotes a letter to airmen from Michael Wynne, secretary of the Air Force, and Gen. T. Michael Moseley, the Air Force chief of staff, saying U.S. enemies will use any means to strike at the country and it is the Air Force's calling to "dominate" air, space and cyberspace.

The Air Force is the first of the five branches of the U.S. military to include fighting in cyberspace as part of its core mission.

However, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has advocated training the military to also defend cyberspace. The government has also warned of potential virtual attacks in response to conventional military action.

"We have quite a few of our Airmen dedicated to cyberspace ... from security awareness, making sure the networks can't be penetrated, as well as figuring out countermeasures," the Air Force-written story quotes Wynne as saying. "The Air Force is a natural leader in the cyber world and we thought it would be best to recognize that talent."

An Air Force spokesperson declined to further elaborate, saying Wynne was tentatively scheduled to talk about the new mission statement in a press conference next week.

The term, "sovereign options," was also new to the mission statement, according to the Air Force Web site.

[Flt.Lt.Andrew]

Nazis! They don't own cyberspace! It isn't theirs to defend!



A.

[H]

Nazis! They don't own cyberspace! It isn't theirs to defend!A.

The USN doesn't own international waters, either; would you expect them never to return fire when fired upon? If you were on a ship attacked by pirates who decide to throw you overboard when a U.S. destroyer happened near, is it your request that the destroyer continues on its way and leave you to the fishes?
The delimiting factor becomes defining what is defending versus what is controlling.

[ozzy72]

Actually Andrew America owns the machines that contain the domain addresses that make the internet work.... whilst they may not own it I think they do have a right to defend it. Of course they could do the decent thing and bomb all the spammers in Florida as an opening gambit

[Flt.Lt.Andrew]

Hahahaha, very good point Mark!
Ok ok, H, your point is rather correct....I shall recede back into my hole.



A.

[TacitBlue]

They do know that cyberspace isn't actually a place right?

[jordonj]

I think this is a hoax...

[H]

I think this is a hoax...

Cyberspace? Frequently!
As for finding verity of the story quoted, the report source is in small print above the headline. I hadn't heard (or seen) this before so I thought our 'compositively omniscient' SimV forum might actually know something...

[Katahu]

As you already know, I'm in the Air Force serving as active duty. Let me tell you this, if there were any changes to the mission statement, me and the rest of the USAF personnel would be the first to know. So far, I haven't heard of it, so it's gotta be a hoax.

However, I wouldn't be surprised if it's going to be implimented. Our technology in the military has forced us to impliment security measures to safegaurd personal information of almost anything.

For reasons of security, I will not discuss the measures that were taken to safegaurd the information nor tell you what information is safegaurded. I like to keep my rank and career, thank you.

[H]

As you already know, I'm in the Air Force serving as active duty. Let me tell you this, if there were any changes to the mission statement, me and the rest of the USAF personnel would be the first to know. So far, I haven't heard of it, so it's gotta be a hoax.
For reasons of security, I will not discuss the measures that were taken to safegaurd the information nor tell you what information is safegaurded. I like to keep my rank and career, thank you.

The reason for the last paragraph invalidates the first. Unless the Air Force has drastically changed regulations recently, only those who need to know, need to know. Thus, only personnel that need to know will only know as much as they need to know. In matters of security, they are regularly required to provide their signature to keep it that way if discharged.

[Hagar]

[quote]only those who need to know, need to know. Thus, only personnel that

[bbstackerf]

You guys are on the wrong page. By 'Cyberspace' they aren't talking about the internet. Wynne was talking about 'Virtual pilots' and the resources that will be needed to secure and support them.

"to FLY and Fight in Air, Space, and Cyberspace."

Wars will be fought with UAVs and their gearing up for it. All the hooplah about cyberspace came about as a result of disscusions on re-aligning manpower in light of Base closures. UAVs are here to stay and they're going to become an ever growing sector of the Air Force's line of weaponry. So if you're worried about the Air Force becoming 'Big Brother' relax. The 'New' mission is just a natural progression of where technology in warfare will be moving.

Rumsfeld on the other hand IS talking about and advocating it being part of the military's function to train it's personnel to fight cyber-terrorism directed at national security assets.

Keni

[Flt.Lt.Andrew]

Rumsfeld and Cheney are dodgy guys in my opinon.



A.

[H]

As for the subject of this topic I have to wonder why the USAF would have sole responsibility for this. Surely that is the responsibilty of every government agency. I suspect it's a general addition to the mission statement (or company policy) which will be reguarly reviewed & updated if necessary, as with any other organisation.

By 'Cyberspace' they aren't talking about the internet. Rumsfeld on the other hand IS talking about and advocating it being part of the military's function to train it's personnel to fight cyber-terrorism directed at national security assets. Keni

(I thought that if we kind of squeezed it together a bit we might get a better view)
I thought to add an edit here relative to Hagar's query that "the USAF would have sole responsibility for this." As the article indicates, they don't nor do they expect to; they do have the means to join in.

[ozzy72]

It might relate to this story in the Guardian.....
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,1 ... 72,00.html